Write a story inspired by this quote from Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy: “In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.”

Posted in Fiction on Mar 10, 2023

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✍️ 66 stories

“Paths” by Kevin V

Submitted to Contest #189

In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost…I know it's said that strange things, peculiar things, happen from time to time; but to have my street suddenly transform into a forest went beyond anything I'd ever imagined or heard. I found myself on a dirt path that branched about thirty feet ahead. One path continued fairly straight - a bit wavy though. The other? Not even close to straight. So crooked, in fact, that it appeared to slither, if, indeed, paths had that ability.The ...

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“Making Tracks” by Karen McDermott

Submitted to Contest #189

The trees are so densely packed in this pocket of the woods I’ve found myself in, you’d think there’d been an astronomical event. I stand in the unseasonable cool, clutching the box containing what was left of Marty and wondering whether to go forwards or backwards. I lost signal about three quarters of an hour ago. At least I still knew the time, even if it was little comfort how late it was getting. A group of pigeons erupted in flight, causing me to nearly drop my precious cargo. Not that anything would’ve escaped. Marty had been very ...

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“Reveal the Dark Night Soul” by Hollie Hughes

Submitted to Contest #189

Bittersweet isn’t, to have something so cruel occur that you suddenly see everything as clear as daylight and everything makes sense. But it’s great, it’s great because you’re suddenly free. Free of disrespect, free from delusions and free from him. The leash once wrapped tightly around you, insufferable. Gone! I was incredibly thankful that Velicity had told me before I found myself invested deeper, even more so than I already was. I could feel the fury building up inside of me. Fortunately, it had only been a couple of weeks of u...

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“The Path To Paradise Begins In Hell.” by Emanuel Diaz

Submitted to Contest #189

Midway upon a journey for life itself, there was a holy man known as Aliero who found himself within trees filled with worms and decaying bodies of the dead in a plain process of putrefaction, where the straight way was lost. His thoughts were confused, and his sight was obscured by the shadows that loomed over him. For this was Hell. He could not recall how he had come to be in that place, but the memory of a single phrase lingered in his mind like a beacon of hope. "In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself," he repeated...

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“Weathered Moments” by L.M. Huntwork

Submitted to Contest #189

The lulling cadence of rain pouring down on the tin roof was a comforting sound. The rhythm bore its way through my chest and settled in. My mind stirred as a familiar voice rang through the storm behind me. I peek around the corner and see him. My fingers begin to tingle and warmth spreads down my neck. I quickly lunge behind the building before he can spot me. I try to take a deep breath, but my throat is too raw and my exhale forces a cough from me. I sputter and choke over the stinging, trying to clamp my hand over my lips to cont...

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“"Vinettes w/Beignets"” by Pauline Taylor

Submitted to Contest #189

“Vignette’s w/Beignet’s” (a compilation of “Short Stories” Or Snippets of Thought)!! “My Voice”!! “5th Chakra”!! Consciously making a choice on a daily, sometimes, minute – by – minute, basis: to release the negative pull of the “Resentments and Anger”, harbored about the past. The desired emotional and mental detachment of these feelings and negative energies that continue to consume too much of the mind-space, distraction from enjoying and showing gratitude, confidence, joy and mental clarity! With the awareness of knowing “Th...

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“Aftermath: A Senseless Tragedy” by Richard E. Gower

Submitted to Contest #189

Sensitive content: This story may offend some people. It contains scenes of murder, gore, gun-violence and death.For poetry purists, I have incorporated some of the technical elements of Dante’s epic poem into the structure of this pale imitation, but have deliberately left others out. I have forgone a rhyming scheme and tight numerical patterns to focus on the story, which is set down in a (very) loose form of free verse (the first word of each line is capitalized). Inspired by the Master’s original example however, I have divided the stor...

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“The Choice ” by Aubrey Tabor

Submitted to Contest #189

Death. I can’t decide whether it feels more like falling into a deep sleep or waking up from a nightmare, but one thing I am certain of is its similarity to life in the most unexpected of ways. I have now come to believe death is an individualized experience. This is the story of mine. The end began much like the beginning. Gasping for air. An instinctual cry for unknown reasons. Eyes opening to blurred vision. The desire to figure out your surroundings, but the fear of the unknown. No concept of time. Everything going black o...

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“The Maze Within” by J D

Submitted to Contest #189

Standing at the crossroads, I found myself trapped in the dark tangles of someone else’s words, unable to locate the path to my true voice. The letters on the page were foreign, and I was lost in the labyrinth of their twisted meanings, meandering in a sea of gibberish. Every footfall felt wrong, leading me deeper into the maze of confusion. I tried retracing my steps, hoping to find my way back to where my words held sway, but the labyrinth had me in its grip. The winding passages and dead-end corners seemed endless, and every turn I chos...

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“Where The Straight Way Was Lost” by Duane Porter

Submitted to Contest #189

As I sobbed, clutching the shredded body of my dear sister Elizabeth, I knew that my life’s path was forever altered. The full moon rose higher in the darkening skies. I shuddered in the shadows cast in its harsh light; not yet believing that such a glorious orb could project such horror upon the earth. But could any dream, any stalking nightmare invade my senses so deeply, so painfully, that I would be unable to wake to a new dawn? I looked over to where the still corpse of Sir Clancy Whiting lay, naked under the moon. We held a brief disc...

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“"I am the way to go among the lost..."” by Janelle Curtis

Submitted to Contest #189

The limbs of every tree were whipping. As his eyes grazed the leaves above, he wondered if each leaf stood threatened, wondering when the gust would pull it to the hardened ground. A spiral into clutches, a knock into oblivion. A new start, but a long death. It was cold, and it was misting. His skin felt coarse in this weather. When the sun was warming, it was almost as if he, himself, lay dormant. Ready to feel, and ready to become. When the flowers bloomed, and the sky shone in the utmost blue, he was lost. It took a good freeze, and a s...

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“The Vow” by Lauren Cohen

Submitted to Contest #189

I began to protect myself. I didn’t let my friends in all the way. I shut down boys that showed interest. Even my classmates knew next to nothing about who I was. I had this sort of guard up, and truthfully, it was an unconscious thing. I never even realized it was there at all.Maybe it was because I already carried so much pain with me, day after day, or maybe it was because I was just scared. Either way, all I knew was that I felt like I had this obligation to myself to make sure I never got hurt again. Who else was going to do that for me...

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“The Things We Take and Leave Behind” by Shannon Gale

Submitted to Contest #189

Because of Rachel Sullivan’s life, I wandered into a dark wood and lost my innocence. Because of her death, I’m here once more. A dust cloud billows behind my Tahoe, the headlights illuminating a stretch of dirt road that I haven’t traveled in eighteen years, half a lifetime ago. It’s nearing midnight, and I’ve seen no one since I turned off the main road three miles back. My hands tighten on the steering wheel when the headlights catch the flash of metal ahead, a rusted gate...

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“The Dream Guide” by Catherine Hill

Submitted to Contest #189

The boy had ran through the woods of this pine forest so many times, it never occurred to him that he could get lost. He could not get lost here, any more than he could get lost walking from his bedroom to his kitchen. And yet, the fallen knotted pine that marked the middle of the trail never materialized. “Shoot,” the boy said, crouching down to the forest floor to take a momentary break. His parents would be worried about him soon. He looked to the tops of the trees and moved his body this way and that to find the sun; if he could loc...

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“Where Is Here?” by Patricia Merewether

Submitted to Contest #189

"The Oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." H.P. Lovecraft.My grandson found this book in the woods and brought it to me. I’m 90 years old and still remember how to read and write (New American English). It’s taking me longer than I expected to translate because it is handwritten in cursive, a very old form of writing and old English. I’m sending a copy of what I've written so far to the New American Smithsonian. Regards, Marie Bradford May 2, 2098:Page OneA b ...

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Write a story inspired by this quote from Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy: “In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.”

Submissions are closed

✍️ 66 stories

“Paths” by Kevin V

“Making Tracks” by Karen McDermott

“Reveal the Dark Night Soul” by Hollie Hughes

“The Path To Paradise Begins In Hell.” by Emanuel Diaz

“Weathered Moments” by L.M. Huntwork

“"Vinettes w/Beignets"” by Pauline Taylor

“Aftermath: A Senseless Tragedy” by Richard E. Gower

“The Choice ” by Aubrey Tabor

“The Maze Within” by J D

“Where The Straight Way Was Lost” by Duane Porter

“"I am the way to go among the lost..."” by Janelle Curtis

“The Vow” by Lauren Cohen

“The Things We Take and Leave Behind” by Shannon Gale

“The Dream Guide” by Catherine Hill

“Where Is Here?” by Patricia Merewether

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story where a character must continue to tell their tale to a listener to avoid unsavory consequences.

Write a story about a fox spirit (a gumiho, jiǔwěihú, kitsune, or hồ ly tinh), inspired by, e.g. Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese folklore.

Write a modern version of "The Tiger, the Brahmin, and the Jackal," in which someone suffers from their own good deeds and must turn to an unlikely source for help.

Start your story with “It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark.” (Hans Christian Andersen, “The Little Match Girl”)

Contest #189

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

281

Contest entries

121

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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